Bridle-bit.



No. 881,242. PATENTED MAR. 10, 1908.

0. B. JOHNSON.

BRIDLE BIT. APPLICATION FILED JUN: a. 190').

w w w T"! NORRIS PETERS 50.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

- to each other.

CHARLES B. JOHNSON, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

BRIDLE-BIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 10, 1908.

Application filed June 8, 1907. SerialNo. 377,892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. J OHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bridle-Bits, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to the kind of bit shown in the expired United States patent issued to Michael J. OLeary on March 27, 1883, No. 274,648.

The object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the parallel mouth rods lie further up in the mouth so that the horse can drink, and so that the said rods normally shall be less discomforting to the animal but equally if not more disconcerting and effective in checking him when he seeks to run away.

There are other advantages incident to the construction which will be appreciated by horsemen or those skilled in theart.

My invention is embodied in the construction hereinafter described and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is an illustration of a horses head showing the bit having the bridle and reins applied; Fig. 2 is a rear view, partly in section, of the bit, showing the curb strap attached; Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the mouth rods and looking at the inner side of the right hand side bar with the curb strap omitted.

The parallel side bars at each side of the bit are each composed of two parts 4 and 5 hinged together at their lower ends, as seen at 6, Fig. 3. The corresponding parts of the side bars at each side of the bit are 'shown to be duplicates of each other symmetrically arranged. Between the parts 4, 4 is a mouth rod 7 secured by riveting, as seen at the lefthand side of Fig. 2, and between the parts 5, 5 is a mouth rod 8, said rods being parallel The rods 7 and 8 are so placed and secured between the res ective parts of the side bars that when sai parts are closed the axes of the rods lie in substantially a straightline with the axis of the hinge 6, as best seen in Fig. 3. This construotion causes the rods to lie flatwise in the mouth and permits the horse to close that organ com letely and normally and permits him to drlnk without difliculty. To allow this particular arrangement of the mouth rods it will be observed that the parts 5 of the side bars are cut away or crooked to extend around the rod 7. The parts 4 of the side bars are each provided with an appropriate ring or loop 9 to receive the head stall 10 and reins as seen at 12. The part 5, or overcheck portion of the side bars, can be provided with a ring or loop 13 to receive the overcheck strap 14. The curb strap 15 can be attached to loops 16 rigidly formed on the parts 5 near the hinged junction of the parts of the side bars. t

From the construction shown and describedit will be observed that draft on the reins will pull the upper ends of the parts of the side bars asunder and thus separate the mouth rods 7 and 8 and spread the jaws of the horse apart, and because the said bars are well up'in his mouth less movement of the parts of the side bars is required to get a given spreading of the jaws than is required when the mouth rods are far down on the bit, as seen in the construction of the patent of OLeary herein referred to. Where the curb strap 15 is used strong draft on the. reins causes the lower jaw to be pinched'between said strap and the rod 7. In my construction when the overcheck is attached to its hook and the horse throws his head down the tendency is to close the mouth bars by pull of the overcheck, whereas in the OLeary construction hereinbefore referred to, when the horse throws his head down the tendency is to throw the mouth bars apart and consequently the horses mouth opens. My construction also prevents an excessive lolling of the tongue.

What'I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:'

1. A horse bit having side-bars each composed of a part 4 for attachment of the headstall and rein anda part 5 for attachment of the over-check, the parts 5 each having rigidly attached thereto a loop for the curbstrap, said parts being hinged together at their lower ends, and mouth-rods between thepartjs' 4 and 5 respectively.

2. Ahorse bit having side-bars each composed of-ftwo parts 4 .and 5 hinged together at their lower ends, a mouth rod connecting the parts 4and a mouth-rod connecting the parts 5, the said mouth-rods, when the bit is closed, having their axes lying in a substanti'ally straight linewith the axis of the bars sire closed, one above the other and hingeso'f the side-bars, andloops for a curb- I having their axes lying substantially in a strap rigid With the parts 5. straight line With. the hinges of the side-bars. l0 3. In a horse bit, side-bars each composed CHARLES B. JOHNSON.

'5 of two parts hinged together at their lower Witnesses:

ends and mouth rods between correspond- BENJAMIN FINGKEL, ing-parts of said side ba rs located, When the ALICE B. COOK. 

